The University of Mississippi Athletics
Four Rebels Wrap Up Competition at Rifle Junior Olympics
5/18/2021 | Rifle
Claire O’Neel Picks Up Eighth-Place Finish in Air Rifle
OXFORD, Miss. – Highlighted by sophomore Claire O'Neel's eighth-place finish in air rifle, three current and one future member of Ole Miss rifle successfully wrapped up competition at the National Rifle Junior Olympic Championships this past weekend.
O'Neel posted a strong performance on the first day of action, turning in the second-highest air rifle score with a mark of 625.7. She followed it up with a solid 623.6 on day two to qualify for the final in the fourth position. The sophomore fell behind in the first five shots of the air rifle final and worked her way back into the mix on the next five shots, but ultimately finished eighth overall. It was O'Neel's highest career finish at the Junior Olympic event. In smallbore, the Frederick, Maryland, native finished in the top-25 with a two-day combined score of 1149.
Teammate and 2020 All-American Kristen Derting also competed in both smallbore and air rifle at the National Junior Olympic Championship. Derting finished 10th overall in smallbore competition with a score of 1161, narrowly missing a spot in the event final. She also fired a 1234.2 in air rifle, placing 21st in the field of over 150 competitors.
Rounding out the Rebels was freshman Martina Gratz. After excelling in air rifle in her first season in Oxford, Gratz picked up a 14th place finish in air rifle with a strong mark of 1239.3 over the two days of shooting. She also competed in smallbore, registering an 1144 in the discipline.
Incoming freshman M'Leah Lambdin also participated at the National Junior Olympic Championship in the smallbore event. Lambdin turned in a score of 567 and 573 for a two-day total of 1140, good for 41st out of nearly 100 competitors. She will join the Rebels on campus in the fall.
In the coming months, the Rebels will continue to train and compete with their club teams. Furthermore, all eyes will be on Ole Miss rifle alum Ali Weiss when she competes with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
For more information on Ole Miss rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle) and at OleMissSports.com.
O'Neel posted a strong performance on the first day of action, turning in the second-highest air rifle score with a mark of 625.7. She followed it up with a solid 623.6 on day two to qualify for the final in the fourth position. The sophomore fell behind in the first five shots of the air rifle final and worked her way back into the mix on the next five shots, but ultimately finished eighth overall. It was O'Neel's highest career finish at the Junior Olympic event. In smallbore, the Frederick, Maryland, native finished in the top-25 with a two-day combined score of 1149.
Teammate and 2020 All-American Kristen Derting also competed in both smallbore and air rifle at the National Junior Olympic Championship. Derting finished 10th overall in smallbore competition with a score of 1161, narrowly missing a spot in the event final. She also fired a 1234.2 in air rifle, placing 21st in the field of over 150 competitors.
Rounding out the Rebels was freshman Martina Gratz. After excelling in air rifle in her first season in Oxford, Gratz picked up a 14th place finish in air rifle with a strong mark of 1239.3 over the two days of shooting. She also competed in smallbore, registering an 1144 in the discipline.
Incoming freshman M'Leah Lambdin also participated at the National Junior Olympic Championship in the smallbore event. Lambdin turned in a score of 567 and 573 for a two-day total of 1140, good for 41st out of nearly 100 competitors. She will join the Rebels on campus in the fall.
In the coming months, the Rebels will continue to train and compete with their club teams. Furthermore, all eyes will be on Ole Miss rifle alum Ali Weiss when she competes with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
For more information on Ole Miss rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle) and at OleMissSports.com.
Players Mentioned
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Tuesday, October 21
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Audrey Gogniat Air Rifle Individual ChampionPodium
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